The standard procedure for lowering a heavy limb or a cut portion of the main stem of a tree is set forth in Bulletin 5, Topping Trees Before Removal, Tree Felling, International Shade Tree Conference, Inc., Western Chapter. Briefly, the procedure consists of providing a lashing around the tree about 12 inches below the proposed cut in the tree. A rope used to lower the severed limb or main stem is then threaded through about three turns of the lashing and then secured to the limb or main stem to be severed about 12 inches above the proposed cut. The lower end of the rope is then wrapped several times around the trunk of the tree at ground level, and secured with a half hitch. The operator on the ground stands clear while the operator in the tree makes the cut. After the cut is made, the half hitch is removed by the ground operator and the heavy limb or main stem is lowered to the ground using the wraps of the rope around the tree trunk to provide friction so that one operator may lower the heavy load.
The standard procedure set forth above does not provide any way for the ground operator to raise the severed limb or main stem if it should become caught in a limb crotch or other obstruction while being lowered.
Another problem with the present method is the fact that the rough bark on some trees is extremely abrasive and harmful to the rope as the rope slides around the trunk while the limb is being lowered.
A further problem is the time consuming chore of wrapping yards and yards of a long rope around the tree trunk.